Catherine West

Faculty Associate
Faculty Research Fellow (2018-2021)
Research Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Archaeology
cfwest@bu.edu
617-358-1652

Education

BA Bryn Mawr College; PhD University of Washington

Expertise

Arctic archaeology, applied zooarchaeology, long-term human-environmental interactions

Biography

Catherine West is a Research Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Archaeology at Boston University, where she directs the Boston University Zooarchaeology Lab. She received her PhD in Anthropology from the University of Washington in 2009 and was a post-doctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, where she is currently a Research Collaborator.

Professor West’s research focuses on using the zooarchaeological record – or ancient animal bones – to understand contemporary environmental questions, taking an applied approach to archaeology in coastal Alaska. Using zooarchaeological, stable isotope, and ancient DNA analyses, West investigates the history and long-term effects of invasive species introductions, how human harvesting has influenced animal populations, and whether past ecosystem responses to climate change can be used to understand current and future changes. This work is done in collaboration with Alutiiq and Unangan tribal museums in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands. West’s research is supported by NSF and the National Geographic Society, she was recognized by the NSF as a member of the New Generation of Polar Researchers, and she has published widely on ancient human-animal interactions. At BU, West teaches courses on environmental archaeology, archaeological science, archaeological theory, and North American archaeology.